"Win, lose or draw, England are reshaping Test cricket" - Nasser Hussain on their bold declaration against Pakistan on Day 4

Former England captain Nasser Hussain reckons that Ben Stokes' bold declaration on Day 4 of the first Test against Pakistan has heralded a new era in the format. Hussain feels Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum deserve credit for making Tests interesting.

England left Pakistan needing to score 343 to win in Rawalpindi, declaring on Day 4 with over 100 overs left in the game. After scoring at a rate of 6.50 runs per over in the first innings, the tourists took it one notch higher in the second at 7.36, clearly intending to win the match.

In his column for the Daily Mail, the 54-year-old stated that England are shaping Test cricket in a way that it deserves to be celebrated. The cricketer-turned-commentator believes England pulled off a masterstroke by leaving themselves with no chance but to snare wickets.

"Win, lose or draw on Monday, England are reshaping Test cricket, and that's something the whole game should celebrate. I thought Stokes's declaration was outstanding, even if Pakistan end up getting these runs or blocking for a draw."

"England knew they needed time to take 10 wickets on this lifeless Rawalpindi surface, and that meant giving themselves enough overs to do it, and dangle a carrot for the Pakistanis. If you can manage to attract interest to a game played in conditions like these, then what Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are doing for Test cricket is invaluable."

The visitors gained a handy 78-run lead after bowling Pakistan out for 579, with debutant Will Jacks claiming six scalps. The home side made England toil for 155.3 overs before Stokes and Co. dished out another assault.

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"To produce some out-of-the-box thinking with the ball was fantastic" - Nasser Hussain

Nasser Hussain. (Image Credits: Getty)

Hussain also praised England's left-field strategy, keeping in mind how Stokes scalped Babar Azam in the second innings. He added:

"To produce some out-of-the-box thinking with the ball was fantastic. I was on the outfield at tea when Mark Wood was marking out a run-up for Ben Stokes, and it was clear the captain was going to be taking the new ball. England realised that the orthodox approach of pitching the ball up hadn't worked in this game."

Pakistan reached 80-2 at Stumps on Day 4 and need 263 more runs on the final day for a series lead.